Imaginary
by Silverfeather of ShadowClan
Summary: One day, I was bored at church then some weird things went down. Unfortunately, the weird thing followed me home... and brought a couple friends...
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Aqua Teen Hunger Force or any of its characters. I do own the narrator, her family and friend, however.**

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The wind howled outside. I sighed as I glanced sideways, noticing that I couldn't see the night sky through the stained glass windows. Against my will, my mom had dragged me to Church, and I was starting to feel restless. I hated sitting still for a long period of time, but I knew if I got up and stretched my achy legs, everyone in the room would turn to look at me, so I forced myself to remain seated.

Even though she may have gotten her way by getting me here, that didn't mean I had to pay attention to what the preacher was saying. Instead, I stared down at the toy Pokemon Umbreon in my lap. Her name was Midnight and I took her everywhere I go.

As an Eevee, Midnight was very eager to become a trainer's Pokemon, and when it finally happened, she was determined to show off what she was capable of. But that was never good enough for her trainer. He always wanted more, pushing her to a point where she couldn't even stand at the end of training.

However, she never complained and always tried her hardest to get stronger to please her trainer. Then one day, he just gave up on her and abandoned her. He tied her to a tree, and she waited and waited some more for him to return but he never did.

A passing trainer spotted her and removed the rope around her neck, asking if she wanted to come along with them on their journey, but Midnight shook her head and continued to wait. Eventually, she realized that he was never coming back, and since then she never trusted another human, avoiding people and even going as far as attacking them if they got too close for comfort.

My attention was snatched away from Midnight's backstory when something pointy jabbed me in my side. I turned to my cousin, letting out a confused grunt as I rubbed my sore ribs where he had elbowed me. Him and his little brother had tagged along with us to Church which at first sounded like an exciting idea because I thought I'd have someone to talk to, but when the preacher started, my mom hushed us.

My cousin pointed to the toy Pokemon I was hugging. "Why do you take that with you everywhere?" he whispered.

I hesitated. I've told him about Midnight's backstory, but I never told him I felt close to her because I believed it. How do you admit that kind of thing to someone? I'm weird that way because most people don't think twice about where their stuffed animals came from or what they went through before they got them. Finally, I said," Just because."

James shrugged but didn't try to push the subject. Instead he asked," So did you ever check out South Park?"

I remembered the other day when my mom had stepped outside for awhile and I had been able to turn on the show my cousin has been trying to get me to watch. My mom's a huge Jesus Freak and disapproved of anything that didn't have to do with God, so when she's around, I'm careful about what I watch and avoid putting the TV on shows I know she would lecture me about. That included Pokemon, but it's such a great show that I refuse to let my mom ruin it for me.

I honestly wasn't sure what to make of South Park. It had been kind of hard to keep track of, especially since I knew next to nothing about it. The only thing I was able to pick up on was that one of the main characters- a boy who always wore an orange hoodie covering his mouth that muffled his voice- dies in every episode in some really gruesome way but still somehow appears in following episodes.

My cousin had said it seemed like something I would like, but I didn't think so. "It's too extreme for me," I finally admitted.

"Says the girl who watches a show about talking food."

"Hey!" I exclaimed louder than I expected. My whole body burned with embarrassment when the preacher paused in his teaching and all eyes turned on me.

My mom, who was sitting in the pew in front of us, jerked her head around at us and hissed," Shh!"

A mix of humiliation and annoyance washed over me when James started laughing under his breath. I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms over my chest, sliding down in my seat and wishing I could just disappear.

For awhile, I kept my eyes fixed on Midnight, holding my tongue until I got over what just happened. Then I turned back to my cousin, keeping a close eye on my mom. "The Aqua Teens are funny," I murmured out of the corner of my mouth.

"They are," he agreed with a nod, glancing at me before switching his gaze back to the preacher but still talking to me. "But they have their extreme moments too. The whole show can get out of control; sometimes it's just as bad as South Park."

I opened my mouth to defend my favorite show, next to Pokemon. But before I could get a word out, my mom glanced over her shoulder at us again. We both fell silent, turning our attention back on the preacher who was pacing in front of the small Church as he talked about something in the Bible that happened a long, long time ago.

At first, I tried to listen to what he was saying, but soon my thoughts wandered back to the show on Adult Swim. Since my mom didn't like me watching a harmless show like Pokemon, I knew she would never approve of Aqua Teen Hunger Force, so I got into the habit of watching it after she went to bed, thankful that it came on late at night.

I smiled to myself, going off into a daydream about the show, playing scenes in my head and giggling under my breath at the funny parts. I was distracted by a flash of light outside. I was blinded for a moment; when I could see again, I looked around. Did nobody else notice that?

_What was that?_ I thought, confused.

I was still trying to figure out what just happened when suddenly I felt a strong, new presence. Glancing around me, I noticed that everybody, even my cousin, was still focused on the preacher. Usually when someone arrived late to Church at least they were noticed, but it seemed like I was the only one who sensed them without needing to look for them.

I was about to turn to James and ask him if he felt the strange presence when I heard a voice behind me.

"What are we doing here again?"

My heart started racing. I recognized that voice. But it couldn't be… could it?

I waited to see if the meatball would say anymore, but the next voice that spoke was deeper, definitely not Meatwad's childlike, innocent tone.

"Just hush and follow me." The box of fries whispered that but I could still hear him as clear as day.

"I don't see why we had to come all the way _here_," Master Shake complained, sounding annoyed like he always did when he was pulled into doing something _he _didn't want to do.

"I told you that you could have stayed behind," Frylock snapped at him.

_Am I losing it?_ I wondered as I glanced around, realizing that they must be sitting directly behind me if they were really there. I noticed that nobody else seemed able to hear or see the Aqua Teens; everyone around me still had their undivided attention on the preacher.

Despite myself, I was curious. I focused on listening to them again just as Shake replied to his friend.

"You know exactly why I couldn't have stayed there." He added," By myself…"

It was silent for a long moment, and, knowing as much as I did about the show, I imagined Frylock giving Shake a suspicious look. Then finally the fries spoke again. "Then stop complaining and sit down."

Even though none of them talked after that, I could still feel them there.

Something jabbed me in the side, jerking me back to where I was sitting on the pew beside my cousin. My mind started picking up what was happening around me: The preacher's voice roared in my ears; cheers met his words as everyone praised the Lord. I had completely forgotten where I was while I was listening to the Aqua Teens. I blinked a few times, letting my surroundings sink into my brain. Then I turned to my cousin, who had stabbed me painfully in the ribs for a second time that night.

"What?" I grumbled.

"Were you daydreaming?" James whispered.

I rubbed my pounding head. Suddenly I had a headache, probably from the rush of everything coming back to me. "Um… yeah," I stammered.

"About what?"

"The Aqua Teens." Should I tell him? I wanted to, but I doubt he would believe me. Besides, I'm not sure if what I heard was real or only my imagination. Perhaps it was just my mind playing a cruel joke on me.

I pushed all these thoughts out of my head as the preacher begun to dismiss everyone.

But even though I tried to listen to his closing words, like I always did when Church was over, I heard Frylock behind me whisper to the others. "Come on, let's go. We can meet for her at her house."

I guess they were leaving, but who was this "her"? They couldn't possibly be talking about _me_… could they? But I'm the only one able to hear them, it seems. If I find them at my house when we get home, then I'll know for sure if they are real or if I'm just crazy.

Suddenly I wanted to get a move on and see for myself if they were really at my house. But I knew my mom would take forever and a day saying goodbye to everyone, then there's a ten minute drive back to the house. I sighed as my mind filled with wonder.

_Are cartoons real?_ I looked around me, full of curiosity. _Are they also living in this world or do they have their own?_

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	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Aqua Teen Hunger Force or any of its characters. But I do own this story idea and the narrator and her family.**

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During the ride home, I was too distracted thinking about what could be waiting for me there to pay any attention to my cousins sitting beside me in the car. James tried talking to me, but my mind kept going back to the Aqua Teens. If only there was a way of skipping all these red lights and arriving at my house faster.

Finally we pulled into the driveway. Even before my brother stopped the car completely, I opened the door but waited until the car came to a jerking halt before jumping out.

My mother and brother had to gather their things, and my cousins were heading next door where they lived. Nobody was paying me any mind so I silently slipped away. I had to see if the Aqua Teens were really here. I wasn't for certain if nobody else could see them, but I knew I couldn't take any risk. I needed to check out the place first.

The yard looked normal. Maybe it had just been my overactive imagination acting up? But I had to make sure. I walked up the steps and reached out to open the door, but slammed into it. At first I was confused. Then realized the door was locked.

_Great,_ I thought, annoyed. I wouldn't have to wait on my brother to unlock the door if I had my own set of keys. I sighed to myself.

As soon as he opened the door, I ran past him to be the first one in. He glared at me but I ignored him.

Looking around, I didn't see anything weird about the living room or kitchen; definitely no cartoons. I was beginning to think that I had only imagined things when suddenly there was a loud crashing sound that came from my room. I glanced at my brother, who also looked spooked. So he heard that…

"Something must have fell in my room," I stammered. "I'll go check it out."

As I hurried to my room, he called after me. "If you cleaned your room, nothing would have fell."

Ignoring his comment, I opened the door without thinking and walked in. What I saw there stopped me in my tracks.

Frylock was floating in the middle of my room, watching as Master Shake picked up something off of the floor. Meatwad was sitting… or standing… on my bed, staring at his friends, but as I came in, the meatball turned to me, his eyes growing huge.

"See what you did?" Frylock was saying to the milkshake, who was bending over as he continued to pick up the broken pieces.

I gasped when I realized what it was. "My stereo!" I ran to Shake and pushed him aside, causing him to drop the pieces of my stereo that he was holding. Rage burned in me. "What the hell is going on here?" I demanded.

Shake backed up, his eyes unreadable at first. Then he glared at Frylock. "It's his fault!" the milkshake blamed his friend.

"What?" Frylock sounded surprised and also mad. "How is this _my_ fault?"

"You're the one who drug us here in the first place," Shake said, still glaring at the box of fries.

Part of me hoped they weren't really there and that if I closed my eyes, when I opened them, they would be gone. But when I tried this, they were still there, Frylock and Shake arguing. Meatwad rolled across my bed to me and smiled at me with the innocence of a five-year-old.

"It's neither of their faults," the meatball said. "But Frylock did drag us here," he added.

I couldn't help but smile back at him. Whenever I saw him on the show, I always had to smile. There was just something cute about the way he did things, like a small child. Watching him simply made me happy.

Suddenly my mom called out to me. "Candy! You better go to sleep soon! You have school in the morning!"

I sighed. "Okay!" I called back.

"Candy!" Meatwad exclaimed. Closing his eyes, he begun to sing. "_I want candy, bubble gum and taffy. Skip to the sweet shop with my sweetheart Sandy. Got my pennies saved so-"_

"Shut up!" Shake and I howled at the same time. We looked at each other, and Shake's eyes shined with mischief, but I glared at him. I never liked him. Meatwad was my favorite character, and Shake was always so mean to him, which made me hate the milkshake with a passion.

Meatwad closed his mouth and opened his eyes. He looked from his friend to me and back again. He frowned and backed away, halting at the front of my bed. I guess he thought I was just like Shake, but that wasn't true. I wanted to assure the meatball that I would never yell at him again or hit him like Shake always did, but I had to admit how much that song got on my nerves. I didn't hate MC Pee Pants, but his music was really annoying.

However, before I could say anything to him, Frylock floated to me, distracting me. "Maybe you should go to bed," he said. "I had hoped to talk to you tonight," he went on. "But I don't want you to get in trouble with your mom. We can talk tomorrow. We will just sleep in the living room for tonight." I opened my mouth to say that was a bad idea, but then he added as if he could read my mind," You are the only one who can see us."

After he left my room, I remembered my brother also hearing them knocking over my stereo, so I was wondering if Frylock was wrong and my brother could see them or at least hear them. I wanted to call him back, but at the same moment, my brother walked down the hallway, passing by Frylock so close that they almost touched. But he took no notice of the box of fries, and I sighed with relief.

I watched as Meatwad jumped off my bed and followed him. Shake remained where he stood, still staring at me. He had been looking at me since we both yelled at Meatwad. It was starting to get annoying.

"Shake!" Frylock yelled for him.

The milkshake didn't move for a whole minute; then he finally walked to my door, but stopped and turned back to look at me again. "Goodnight," he murmured before leaving my room.

I was left there, alone and in shock. The way Shake had said that made it seem like he had a soft side. Walking over to my door, I heard Shake claiming one of the chairs, and declaring that Meatwad had to sleep outside.

"Do I, Frylock?" the meatball asked.

"No," Frylock answered. "Now calm down and go to sleep. We have a big day tomorrow."

I pushed my original thought away, deciding that Shake wasn't capable of another side other than a big bully. It was weird though. If I didn't know any better, I'd just think the TV was on in the living room and tune into Adult Swim. But that wasn't the case this time. The Aqua Teens were really in my house. They were real and I had talked to them. I still couldn't believe it. I was still in shock, and part of me wondered why they were here and what they wanted.

_Guess I'll find out tomorrow, _I thought as I closed my door. I changed out of my dress clothes and slipped into a nightgown, then climbed into bed.

Usually, I had music playing while I slept, but until I get a new stereo, that wasn't possible. Sighing, I turned on the TV and clicked it over to the Disney Channel. The theme song of Suite Life on Deck was playing, but I wasn't really paying much attention to it. I just needed something on in the background as I fall asleep.

I turned over to face the wall, and before I knew it, I was out.

The sound of my door opening and closing woke me. I was still facing the wall, but I could hear someone walking into my room, coming closer to my bed. I felt the bed dip a little as whoever got in beside me. I shut my eyes and rolled over onto my other side, pretending like I was still asleep but that their movements had disturbed me.

I waited awhile until I finally dared to open my eyes, which flew open all the way when I saw Shake lying beside me. His face was almost touching mine. He was asleep or seemed to be anyways, and I moved closer to the wall, but there was a gap between my bed and the wall. It was a small gap but I still felt my leg slip into it, so I had no choice but to scoot a little closer to the milkshake so I didn't get stuck, although I tried to keep away from him as best as I could.

Why did he come in here and get in bed with me?

I folded my hands into fists, but instead of punching him, I kicked him, causing him to roll out of my bed. As he fell, he woke and gasped. I looked over the edge of the bed at him, trying to make myself look threatening, but I could barely keep myself from bursting out laughing at the sight of him on the floor, a shock expression on his face.

Then Shake stood up and glared at me. "Why the hell did you do that?"

I sat up in my bed. "I should be asking _you _why the hell are you in _my_ room!"

Before the milkshake could reply, the door opened and Frylock floated in. "What is going on in here?" he gasped.

"She kicked me out of bed," Shake told him as if I was the one in the wrong.

"This is _my_ room!" I pointed out, trying not to shout too loud in case my family overheard me. "You shouldn't be in here to begin with."

It looked like Shake was about to continue arguing, but before he could, Frylock said," She's right." He glared at the milkshake. "Now come on. Let's get out of here so we all can get some sleep."

"Thanks," I murmured to the box of fries.

He just smiled and pushed Shake out of my room, closing the door behind them.

Now I felt too restless and upset to sleep, so I turned up the volume on my TV and watched whatever was playing on the Disney Channel.

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